Check out the Alesis masterlink.
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The Alesis Masterlink will do the trick. I have one that was modified by TRL, which makes it an even better recorder. Michael Fremmer has a review on the stock unit in Stereophile (for what it's worth) and he recently did a follow-up on a unit modified by BPT. You can get a stock unit for around $900 new. |
If you have a standalone CD burner, it probably has analog inputs and a really cheap A-D converter of its own. For the car, it might be all you need. Analog still sounds like analog after you digitize it, I have found. In some future system in which I do digital room correction, I think that quality A2D at a high bit-rate and word-length may be completely acceptable for playing analog through a system. But some of you would choose death before going that route, I'm sure. |
You can do it with a dedicated CD recorder, or use a computer. Here's a great page of advice on the latter: http://www.delback.co.uk/lp-cdr.htm |
4yanx, I purchased my Alesis already modified so I have no way of being able to tell you how it sounds versus the stock unit. Based on what information I gathered from TRL, most of the mods were done on the digital side. There were some mods on the analog side and according to TRL this makes the unit more listenable as a CDP. However, I was advised it would be a better transport, HD storage player, recording tool, and CD burner. So I use it as a transport with a TRL modified Audio Mirror DAC. TRL uses the Alesis for their two track masters as they own a couple of recording labels. I have a couple of CDs they recorded on the Alesis and the quality is excellent. That being said a new set of mods is now available that will further improve the analog stage and make it an even better player. There are also improvements to the CD burner as well that according to TRL will make it an excellent tool to copy and reburn store bought CDs, with the copies sounding better than the originals. I will be sending mine back in for these upgrades. |
The Alesis masterlink looks good, but the dealbreaker for me is that there's no hookup to a computer. Is there any device similar to a masterlink that can dump to a computer's hard drive, without having to burn a CD, or go through the line-in on the soundcard? Is there any plan for Alesis to release a product or an adapter that can do this? Thanks, Todd |
I use an Apple G4 powerbook (I'm using it at this very moment) with Roxio Toast software. It is an analog to digital converting program. Easy to usee and does the trick! RCAs from "out" of preamp to "mic" on the powerbook. Music from LP is downloaded into Roxio program. I can leave it there, or place it into iTunes (this is preferable). Then I can burn a CD. If you'd like to hear what one sounds like, clicks and pops and all, send me an email and I will get a CD to you. |